On Tuesday, August 7, 2018, neighbors throughout Wilton Manors were invited to join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for the “Annual National Night Out Crime and Drug Prevention” event. National Night Out is co-sponsored locally by the Wilton Manors Police Department. In all, over 16,000 communities and about 38 million people worldwide participated.

National Night Out is designed to: (1) Heighten awareness against crime prevention and drug awareness; (2) Generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime efforts; (3) strengthen police and community partnership; and (4) Send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are organized, aware, and fighting back.

From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on August 7, 2018, residents in neighborhoods throughout Wilton Manors and across the nation were asked to lock their doors, turn on outside lights and spend the evening outside with neighbors and the police. Many neighborhoods throughout Wilton Manors hosted a variety of special events such as block parties, park gatherings, cookouts, flashlight walks, and anti-crime rallies. The Wilton Manors Police department has always had a strong bond with its citizens and YOUR police department was out in force.

Wilton Manors Police Chief Paul O'Connell is very involved in community events and firmly believes that any problem in our community can be solved if we work together. Chief O'Connell is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life through Citizen Participation, and maintaining high professional standards for his Officers. He believes that if citizens and the police work together, we can rid our community of drugs and crime.

National Night Out showcases the vital importance of police-community partnerships in our fight to build a safer nation, one community at a time. On August 7, 2018, we invited the citizens of Wilton Manors to join us in Giving Crime & Drugs a Going Away Party.